Package and container for fragile articles



Oct. 2, 1934. F. H. SHERMAN 27 PACKAGE AND CONTAINER FOR FRAGILEARTICLES Original Filed oct- 31, 1929 Invenior: FramasHShern-zan by B H,

Patented Oct. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES racxaca AND comma Foa mama aarrcmsFrancis H. Sherman, Palmer, Mm.

Application October Renewed 2 Claims.

My present invention relates to packages and containers for holding aplurality of fragilearticles in spaced and cushioned relation, beingparticularly adapted for use in packaging eggs in small lots for retaildistribution. It aims to provide a simplified and inexpensive device ofthe class described.

In the drawing illustrating one embodiment of the invention, by way ofexample,

I Fig. 1 is a perspective of the container in open position;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the closed container,the open position thereof being indicated in dotted lines; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevations of two of the parts used in forming anarticle spacer or socalled filler for the above container.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, the container or wrapper comprises twomain portions 5, 5, de-

sirably interchangeable in use, but herein referred to, for convenienceof description, as a lower or bottom portion or tray and an upper or topportion or cover. These portions may be separately formed butconveniently are hingedly connected along one of their edges, asindicated at 6. In the device as illustrated the two portions are madeintegral and are scored or otherwise arranged for hinging along one sideedge, as at said line 6, but it will be understood that these so twomain portions of the box or container, if manufactured as separatemembers, may either be hinged together in any suitable manner or may bemerely superposed, in opposition, and tied, clipped or otherwise held inplace during use.

In the illustrative embodiment of my invention the container isfashioned from fibrous or cellulosic material reduced to a pulp andadapted to be formed up or molded by a pulp-sucking process. Oneconvenient and inexpensive source of such material is found in newspaperor other used paper, which is macerated and beaten or reconverted to apulp stage. By the use of molds of the desired shape, either single orin pairs, the device such as illustrated is immediately produced in itsfinal form. The resulting material of its walls, which may be termedpulp-board, is of sufficient weight or substance to be self-supportingand to possess the necessary rigidity to withstand ordinary crushingstresses, but has a relatively soft texture as compared with ordinarycard-board and has adequate flexibility to afford a cushioning effectfor the fragile contents.

As illustrated, the side walls "I, '7 of the respective container parts5, 5 are outwardly inclined from their top or bottom walls 8, 8, as bestseen 31, 1929, Serial No. 403,110 January 21, 1933 in Fig. 2. Thecontainer side walls, or one or more of them, are preferably set-over orflared at their edges, to form the flanges 9, 9 of suflicient width toprovide a seat for the two portions of the container, one upon oragainst the other. The provision of such rim or flange, eithercontinuously or at suitable spaced locations, upon one or both of thebox members serves also to increase their rigidity and generallystrengthen them, as well as affording a protective rib or lat- 6 eralcushioning means for the container. Additional strengthening andcushioning may also be obtained, as herein illustrated, by the provisionof ribs 10, 10 respectively extending about the peripheries of the topand bottom walls 8, 8 of the two container portions 5, 5, seeparticularly Fig. 2, and whereby said top and bottom walls are set infrom the adjacent edges of the side walls, so that they are normally outof contact with any fiat surface upon which the container may be 36positioned, whichever of the two container portions is placed lowermost.

By reason of the inclined side walls a number of the containers mayreadily be nested for packing, shipment or storage. In the case ofhingedly connected upper and lower parts, these parts are nested'inpairs in their open position, or where the members are formed separatelythey may be stacked individually in nested relation.

In accordance with my invention I provide a filler or cell-forming meansparticularly cooperating with the described container. For this purposeI have shown a filler comprising crossing sets of upright members 11 and12, see particularly Figs. 3 and 4, adapted to be assembled andinterlocked in crossed relation to provide the desired number of cells.The container may be variously proportioned, to accommodate fillershaving different numbers or arrangements of cells, such for example as2x6, 1x6, 2x3 or others, including the 3x4 arrangement such asillustrated by way of example. The members of one set, herein the longerones or stringers 11 have slotted formations 13 extending in from oneedge, while the members of the other set, herein the cross-piecesl2,have cooperating slot formations 14 along an opposite edge, wherebythe two sets of members may be interengaged to form cells, substantiallyas in Fig. 1. The two sets of members which comprise the filler may beinterlocked in any suitable way, as by the provision of tongues 15projecting laterally from a side wall of the slot formations of one setand adapted to be received in cut-out formations 16 in the other set ofmembers.

In order to position the filler firmly within the container and toenable it to aiford the maximum reinforcement to the containerwalls,'the ends of one or both sets of elements 11 and 12 of the filletare projected or shaped to conform with the inner faces of the walls ofthe container. In the form shown, the ends of said pieces are oppositelyand inwardly inclined from approximately the longitudinal median linesof j the pieces, substantially in the manner illustrated at 1'7, 1'7,18, 18, giving them a maximum width at midheightgin the closing plane ofthe two main portions of the container. These filler pieces areproportioned to the dimensions of the container so that the filler mayreadily be dropped into the open tray portionof the latter, but byreason of their described end construction they are adapted to act asabutments or braces resisting end or side pressure as well as verticalpressure exteriorly of the container.

It will be particularly noted that each of the two main parts 5, 5 ofthe container is 'of less height than the filler, being but one-halfthat height in the illustrated example. Thus when the container is'open,the upper portions of the contained articles are wholly exposed, makingan attractive display and facilitating inspection. It will be understoodthat the two portions of the container need' not be of the same height,but

'that one of them may be made deeper than the 'other, and the fillerends correspondingly varied. Also, the side walls are riot necessarilyinclined although such construction is found desirable because' 'oi thegreater ease with which the parts may be nested, and for other reasons,particularly in connection with their manufacture.

If desired, the corner portions of the filler members may be rounded orbevelled oil, for example, as illustrated at 19, 20 for ease ininserting the filler or in closing the container and. to promote acirculation of air about the contents, this latter effect being alsoincreased by reason of the peripheral ribs"10, 10 which, interiorly oi'the container, afford the channels 21, 21.

The container may be held in closed position in any suitable manner, asby adhesive stickers or strips or by one or more clips 22 such asillustrated in Fig. 2. Where the upper and lower parts of the containerare not hinged together, similar securing means or clips may also beapplied to the superposed rims at the opposite side of the container, orat any desired point or points about its periphery. In some instancesthe two members may be hinged together by means of a strip of adhesivepaper or the like but preferably the two parts are formed integrally inthe pulpmolding process, and scored or otherwise marked for folding oneonto the other. 7 7

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment thereof hereinillustrated and described, its scope being set forth in the followingclaims.

I claim: r a. 1. A package for eggs, comprising, in combination,a'container of cellulcsic material including oppositely mating top andbottom trays, said trays together being of a depth to receive eggs insubstantially upright position, each tray comprising a horizontal top orbottom wall, enclosing peripheral walls diverging outwardly from theperiphery of the horizontal wall at substantially similar angles, and a,laterally projecting peripheral flange adjacent the free edges of saidperipheral walls for seating, reinforcing and cushioning purposes, aliof said walls being continuous and imperforate and meeting in seamlessrounded comer formations, and a cellular partitioning elementconstructed and arranged for position ing reception within saidcontainer, said element comprising crossed, interengaged vertical wall.

members, each of maximum length at the level of the meeting plane of thecontainer traysand each having its outerends oppositely and inwardlyinclined from its points of maximum 7 length, for engaging receptionwholly within and [against said outwardly diverging walls of the trays,the upper and lower outer corner portions of said partitioning elementand the adjacent portions of the trays being formed for cooperativelyaflording air-circulation pusages.

2. Packing means for eggs, comprising, in combination, a containerconstructed of fibrous pulp deposited on a form, said containerincluding oppositely mating top and bottom trays, said trays togetherbeing of a depth to receive eggs in substantially upright position, eachtray comprising a horizontal top or bottom wall, enclosing peripheralwalls diverging outwardly from the periphery of the horizontal wall atsubstantially similar angles, and a laterally projecting peripheralflange adjacent the free edges of said peripheral walls for seating,reinforcing'and cushioning purposes, all of said walls being continuousand imperforate and meeting in seamless rounded corner' iormations, anda cellular partitioning element constructed and arranged for positioningreception within said container, said element comprising crossed,interengaged vertical wall members, each of maximum length at the levelof the meeting plane of the container trays and each having its outerends oppositely and inwardly inclined from its points of maximum length,for engaging reception wholly within and against *said outwardlydiverging walls of the trays, the

upper and lower outer corner portions of said par area of anouter'surface of the top tray being sub-- stantially flat.

i FRANCIS H. SHERMAN.

